1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a disc detection apparatus for a slot-in optical disc drive, and more particularly to a disc detection apparatus integrating a light sensor and a rolling unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional optical disc drives are generally classified sliding tray and slot-in types. Light sensor devices detect presence of a disc in a slot-in optical disc drive, and a roller unit operates to draw the disc into the drive.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional optical disc drive has a lower housing 1 to contain a body 2, a rolling unit 3 and a main circuit board 11. The body 2 and the rolling unit 3 are assembled so that the rolling unit 3 is always taken out along with the body 2 when the user detaches the body 2 from the optical disc drive.
A slot 4 is formed between the body 2 and the rolling unit for receiving and ejecting discs. A first circuit board 21 is disposed on the body 2, and a second circuit board 12 is disposed on the lower housing 1 corresponding to the first circuit board 21 so that the rolling unit 3 operates when a disc enters the slot 4. A light emitting device 211 and a light receiving device 121 are mounted on the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 12 respectively. When light is emitted from the light emitting device 211 and received by the light receiving device 121, the light receiving device 121 outputs a signal indicating that there is no disc between the light emitting device 211 and the light receiving device 121. When light is emitted from the light emitting device 211 but not received by the light receiving device 121, the light receiving device 121 outputs another signal indicating that light is obstructed by a disc. The presence of the disc is confirmed, such that startup and rotation of the rolling unit 3 are initialized.
It is noted that the light emitting device 211 and the light receiving device 121 are separately arranged. Such an arrangement requires two independent circuit boards 21, 12 for the light emitting device 211 and the light receiving device 121. It is disadvantageous to the arrangement of space in the optical disc drive. Furthermore, the second circuit board 12 and the light receiving device 121 are not integrated with the body 2. As a result, the second circuit board 12 is left in the lowing housing 1 with electric wires and signal lines connected to the body 2, while the body 2 is detached from the optical disc drive. That is inconvenient for the user to maintain the optical disc drive.